


By the Lake

by Erwin_Smith



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/M, Jeankasa Week, Post canon, canon complient, jeankasa week 2017, lake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-12 12:40:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11737236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erwin_Smith/pseuds/Erwin_Smith
Summary: In the end, Jean was always there.(Jeankasa Week 2017)





	By the Lake

**Author's Note:**

> My two days late work that was written for Jeankasa Week 2017. 7 Aug. Day 2: Lake.
> 
> First time writing a fanfic for this ship. I'm glad that there's a ship week for it. It doesn't get enough love.
> 
> This is very loosely based on a meta I wrote a few months ago. I'll link it in the end note.
> 
> Also unbeta-ed and I apologize if I missed any mistakes.

It was eleven years since the war with Marley. Eleven years since the soldiers of Paradis managed to defeat them in a bloody and devastating war. The world was finally at peace. For how long? Nobody knew. Everyone wanted to avoid history from repeating itself, but sometimes the world was just too cruel. The cruelty of the world would continue to stick to one person for quite a while.

 

It was also seven years since the “curse” had been broken. Seven years since Armin broke it, taking the powers of all nine titans and unifying them into one. Seven years since Eren Jäger allowed his story to come to an end to give Armin the opportunity to continue living on. Eren reached his goal at slaughtering the titans and getting free of the cage that was Wall Maria, Wall Rose, and Wall Sina. He avenged his mother’s death and countless other friends that didn’t make it.

 

That day Eren died Mikasa thought she lost everything. It took a while for her to recover from his death. There was much pain. Much proof that the world she lived in was still cruel. She didn’t expect Jean to step up and be there for her when she truly needed a shoulder to lean on. She thought she didn’t need Jean then and showed hostility and tried to push him away. Mikasa knew she didn’t deserve his comfort after how much pushing she did. How he didn’t deserve the hostility she showed towards him. Sure he and Eren didn’t get along very well at times when they were younger soldiers, but he came a long way. Jean wasn’t the same person he was back then. He grew to be much more kind, caring, and protective of his friends and those who were important to him. In the end, Jean was always there.

 

He wished that Marco would have been able to make it to finally be free. The world was cruel to Jean as well.

 

There were no titans. There was peace and freedom. There was love and happiness. People were able to resettle back into the land where titans once roamed.

 

Last but not least, there was the girl with the long black hair that Jean was in love with once again.

 

.*.*.*.

 

Jean sat on the edge of the bank watching the water in the lake ripple when an insect landed. It was brave in doing so. A hungry fish was bound to come and snatch it up...but nothing happened and the insect flew away. Jean then looked down to the hand in his. Their fingers were intertwined.

 

The sun was reflecting off the little diamond on the other’s hand. The young man liked the way it looked on his lover’s hand. His _wife_. It was the perfect fit. He rubbed his thumb against her hand softly. She stirred against him.

 

“Mikasa?” Jean asked lightly, glancing down at her as she brought her scarf up to her face and smelled the fabric for a moment. She continued to wear the scarf every day.

 

“I was just thinking.”

 

“About what?”

 

Mikasa swallowed and nuzzled her nose against his collarbone. “How after everything happened you were always there. You, and Armin, and our other friends. You stood out the most. You stayed no matter how much I didn’t want you to. Thank you again. I know you hear that a lot from me, but I mean it. Thank you.” She whispered the last part.

 

“You needed it. We all needed someone after the war.” Jean kissed her shiny raven colored hair. It was longer now. Much like it was when she first joined the Cadets. He still loved that beautiful black hair of hers.

 

Mikasa smiled—it took some time for Jean to see the young woman smile again—and leaned up to press her soft pink lips to the corner of his mouth, leaving a tiny smudge of lipstick behind.

 

“Mama! Papa! Eren pushed me down!” came a little voice that sounded like it had been crying. The duo turned around and saw their youngest son. Tears ran down his chubby cheeks and he did his best to rub them away with his little hands. Dirt was on his little knees. Further away was their eldest son, who was also making his way towards his parents and little brother.

 

“Oh, Marco, now why would Eren do that?” asked Jean as he carefully moved to stand up. He scooped the little boy up in his arms and kissed his cheek. Marco had dark brown hair that was almost black like his mother's. His eyes were the same light brown shade as his father’s.

 

“I wanted to play with his toy soldiers,” Marco said and sniffled. He was three years old. His pronunciation was still that little adorable toddler way.

 

Eren, six, joined up with his family. His features took after Mikasa’s more, coincidentally. “I told him many times that they’re for big boys. Not stinky babies,” he scoffed. Mikasa frowned.

 

“That’s no way to behave. Papa and I want you to share your toys with him. You’re brothers. You’re to be nice to one another and not push each other around. Eren, come closer,” Mikasa instructed, her voice raised a bit. Eren stuck his bottom lip out, but obeyed. She took one of his hands.

 

“I’m sorry, Mama.” Eren looked to Jean and added, “Papa.”

 

“Go apologize to your baby brother and give him a hug.”

 

Eren nodded and walked over to his father as he set down little Marco. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly and hugged his brother. Marco reached his arms up and held the fabric of Eren’s shirt between his fingers. Mikasa’s heart melted at the sight.

 

Even when the two boys would have their disagreements they always loved one another in the end. Eren was protective of his little brother at times, too. Whenever Marco was afraid of an insect, a storm, meeting someone new, or walking through the woods with the adults Eren would come in and hold his hand and tell him that he’d protect him from the scary things. Jean and Mikasa thought it was the cutest ever.

 

“Hey, boys, come here,” Jean said, a small grin on his face as he walked to the edge where the sand and lake met. He picked up a couple of little flat rocks and skipped one along the top of the water. Marco laughed and clapped his little hands together.

 

“Again!” he shouted.

 

“I wanna try!” Eren exclaimed and held his hands up to his father for one of the rocks. Jean gave him one and watched as he tried to copy him. Eren just tossed the rock into the lake with a wet plop. He looked a bit disappointed. “Aww! It didn’t work like you did.”

 

“Here. Like this,” Jean said and bent down. He took Eren’s wrist into his hand and gave him another rock. Gently, he flicked Eren’s wrist and watched as the rock skipped across the lake. It didn’t go nearly as far, but the boy was still happy and entertained. Marco happily clapped again, giggling lightly.

 

Mikasa smiled at the three. It warmed her heart to see them bonding. She stretched her legs out and moved across the grass so her toes could touch the cool lake water. She rested one hand on her belly and rubbed soft circles into it. It had grown quite large over the past few months.

 

She was happy for her little family. The only family she had. She was glad to have it. Glad that the world allowed her to finally be happy, even if it took a while.

 

When the children got older she would delve into the tale of her and her friends’ lives much more. Mikasa would tell her children how humanity fought back and won. She’d tell of all the brave soldiers who fought for humanity—Erwin, Hannes, and others—who were taken away so soon. She’d tell the tale of Eren, too.

 

Mikasa would eventually tell them how their father stood by her side and picked up the pieces when her hope became lost the day the curse broke. How he never gave up no matter how much she tried to shut him out. Jean never gave up.

 

Jean looked to his wife and smiled back from where he and the two boys were splashing around in the lake shore, blowing a kiss to her. One that she gladly returned.

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the [meta](http://erwin-smith.tumblr.com/post/159526960944/lets-talk-jeankasa-for-a-moment-more) that I had mentioned.
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr: [ commmander-erwin-smith](https://commander-erwin-smith.tumblr.com)
> 
> Feedback would be nice. :^)


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